Best 20 Apricot Tart Recipes

APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat, and set aside on a floured surface. Roll dough out to a 14-inch circle, and place on paper.
• In a medium bowl, toss apricots together with sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and zest. Place apricot mixture on the center of the dough. Spread out, leaving a 2-inch border of dough; turn ends of apricots upward. Fold the dough up and over the apricots, making a crease or fold every 4 to 5 inches to enclose fruit and prevent juices from seeping out.
• Brush dough thoroughly with heavy cream; sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotating baking sheet 45 degrees. Continue to bake until tart is evenly browned and apricots are bubbling, about 25 minutes more.
• Transfer tart from baking sheet to a cooling rack, and cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

VERLET'S APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
• Make the pastry:
• In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and the sugar, and using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to form a soft, cookie-like dough. Transfer the dough to the center of the buttered pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press the pastry along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The pastry will be quite thin.
• Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake unitl the dough is slightly puffy and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the bottom of the crust. (This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)
• Meanwhile make the filling:
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the crème fraîche, egg, extracts and honey and whisk to blend. Whisk in the flour.
• Pour the filling evenly over the pastry. Starting just inside the edge of the pan, neatly overlap the halved apricots, cut side up, at an angle. Arrange in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Fill in the center with the remaining apricots.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the filling is firm and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes. The apricots will shrivel slightly. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place the tart on a rack to cool. Sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

RUSTIC CHERRY-APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Crust:Pulse flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons ice water evenly. Pulse until dough holds together when pressed between 2 fingers (it should not be wet or sticky). If too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue pulsing. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour; or freeze up to 3 months.
• Filling:In a large bowl, combine apricots, cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out dough to a 15-inch circle. Transfer to a 10-inch pie dish; pour filling into crust. Fold edges of crust over filling, overlapping as necessary. Brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and bottom. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on bottom rack. Bake on middle rack until pastry is golden and juices are bubbling in center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. (If crust is browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 2 hours before serving. Pie can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.

BRANDIED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk. Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until a ball forms., Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350°., In a small saucepan, combine preserves and brandy; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Brush 2 tablespoons over crust. Arrange apricots over crust and brush with preserve mixture. , Bake 18-22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

APRICOT CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Slice the apricots 3/4-inch thick, discarding the pits. Place the apricots in the prebaked tart shell in a decorative pattern. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, egg yolks, and cream in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Stir in the flour and salt. Carefully pour the creamy mixture over the apricots.
• Sprinkle the almonds over the top of the tart. Bake until the custard is almost completely set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
• In a small bowl, mix the egg and cream together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix in the butter until it is the size of small peas. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg mixture. Mix the dough just until it is no longer dry looking. It will still be loose and crumbly at this point.
• Place the dough on the work surface. With your hands, combine and form the dough into a single ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm but still malleable.
• Roll out dough and fit it into a 9 1/2-inch tart shell. Prebake the shell in a preheated 325 degree F oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 (9 1/2-inch) tart shell

ALMOND-APRICOT TART WITH WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse flour andalmonds in a food processor untilground. Beat butter and confectioners'sugar with a mixer onmedium speed until pale and fluffy,about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture,yolk, and a pinch of salt;mix until dough comes together.Press into bottom and up sides ofa 9-inch tart pan with a removablebottom; refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make thefilling: Heat butter in a saucepanover medium-high heat untilbrowned, 3 to 4 minutes. Let coolfor 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat yolks, corn syrup,and brown sugar with a mixeron medium speed until pale andfluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix inbrowned butter (with bits), amaretto,cream, and vanilla. (Mixtureshould be thick but pourable.)
• Transfer tart shell onto a bakingsheet. Pour in filling to reachhalfway up side. Bake until crustis golden brown and crisp andcenter is set but slightly soft, 40to 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Make the topping: Working in a circle and pressing into filling, top tart with apricots. Garnish with confectioners' sugar. Whisk cream with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Serve tart topped with whipped cream.

APRICOT-HAZELNUT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Make the poached apricots: Combine wine, 3 cups water, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, and cinnamon stick in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add apricots, cut-side down. Cover surface with a parchment round, and cook, simmering, until apricots are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached apricots to a small rimmed baking sheet or plate.
• Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in lower third of oven. Make the frangipane: Combine hazelnuts and sugar in bowl of food processor and process until finely ground. Add butter, flour, egg, liqueur, salt, and vanilla extract; process until frangipane is smooth.
• Prepare the tart shell: Unfold puff pastry on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border about 1 1/2-inches in from perimeter of pastry.
• Using tines of a fork, pierce puff pastry all over within border. Spread frangipane in an even layer within border. Arrange poached apricots on top of frangipane, cut-side down; brush lightly with poaching liquid. Combine egg and cream, then brush lightly onto puff pastry border.
• Bake until tart is puffed and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and brush apricots lightly with more poaching liquid. Let cool completely.

APRICOT AND BERRY TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees, and have ready an ungreased 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom. In a medium bowl, toss together the apricots, berries, and 4 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk, and vanilla; pulse until dough begins to come together. Press dough into tart pan; set pan on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and slightly puffy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, gently flatten bottom of crust.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Arrange fruit in crust. Bake 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until apricots are juicy and tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove tart from frame; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

APRICOT CREAM TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse almonds, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until almonds are very finely chopped. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add yolk and extracts and pulse just until mixture begins to clump.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice with a forward motion to distribute fat. Gather dough together into a ball with scraper and transfer to tart pan. Pat dough with floured fingers into tart pan in an even 1/4-inch-thick layer, including side (side should be flush with top of rim). Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Make filling while dough chills:
• Toss apricots with Amaretto and 1/4 cup sugar, then let macerate until juicy, at least 1 hour.
• Whisk together preserves, whole egg, yolk, cream, almond extract, a pinch of salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in another bowl until combined. Chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Bake tart shell:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom is pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Lift apricots from liquid with a slotted spoon and arrange, skin sides down, in tart shell. Whisk remaining apricot liquid into egg mixture, then pour over apricots(fruit will poke through filling). Cover edge of tart shell with a pie shield or foil and bake tart until filling is set and slightly puffed, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack.

APRICOT ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Make tart shell:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into bottom and side of tart pan, then trim flush with top of rim. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with weights. Bake until pastry is pale golden along rim, and set underneath weights, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Fill and bake tart:
• While shell cools, roast apricots in 1 layer, cut sides up, in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish 30 minutes, then set aside.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Pulse almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely ground.
• Beat together butter and 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in almond mixture, vanilla, and almond extract until just combined.
• Spread frangipane evenly in tart shell. Arrange apricots, cut sides up, on top of frangipane. (Frangipane will puff up around apricots when baked.) Bake until frangipane is golden brown and just firm to the touch, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Sprinkle top of tart with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and broil about 6 inches from heat until sugar is melted and top of tart is browned, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully). Cool to warm or room temperature in pan on a rack, at least 30 minutes.

GLAZED APRICOT TART WITH FRANGIPANE (MINI TARTS - TARTLETS)

Steps:

• To Prepare Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixture until smooth.
• Add one egg, beating until smooth. Gradually add 1/4 cup ground almonds and the flour, beating at low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).
• Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls; press into bottom and two-thirds up sides of each cup of a miniature muffin pan, or 1 large tart tin.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To Make Filling:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter, cream, 2 eggs, the vanilla, the almond extract, 1/2 cup ground almonds, and the lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Spoon filling mixture into each crust.
• Pit and slice apricots. Arrange apricot slices over the top of each tart.
• To make glaze, mix apricot jam with a little water, brush over tops of fruit.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Dust tops with icing sugar while still warm.

APRICOT PISTACHIO TART

Steps:

• Process 1 cup nuts and the granulated sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter; process until a paste forms. Add egg, vanilla, and salt; process to combine. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, press edges of both pastry sheets together to form one large sheet. Roll out to a 9-by-17-inch rectangle; transfer to a baking sheet. Spread reserved pistachio mixture over dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border.
• Position rectangle so that a short end is nearest you. Arrange apricots on top in 4 vertical rows, alternating direction in which apricots face from row to row. Fold in edges of dough; use your index finger to make a scalloped border. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together yolk and cream; brush egg wash over edges of tart shell. Chop remaining tablespoon nuts; sprinkle nuts and turbinado sugar over apricots. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and fruit is juicy, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, heat jam with 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until thinned, about 2 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Brush glaze over fruit.

APRICOT TART WITH PISTACHIO FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• Start with the pastry shell: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Prepare a 9-inch/23-centimeter nonstick tart pan with a removable base by lining the bottom with parchment and greasing the sides with butter. If needed, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle roughly 1/8- to 1/4-inch/3- to 5-millimeters thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin, plus extra to poke above the edge by about 1/2 inch/1 centimeter. (Some store-bought doughs may be the perfect size right out of the package.) Carefully line the pan with the pastry and press it down so it covers the base and sides, with excess overhang.
• Cover the pastry with parchment paper or waxed paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the paper with the beans. Prick the pastry base and sides with a fork about 15 times, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Poach the apricots: Add Sauternes, lime half, vanilla, sugar and 3 tablespoons/40 milliliters water to a saucepan that is just big enough to hold the apricot halves in one layer. Place the pan over high heat and cook until the sugar has melted and the liquid boils.
• Remove the pan from the heat and place the apricots in the hot liquid, cut-sides down. Leave them to poach in the residual heat until they are soft but still hold their shape (20 to 40 minutes, depending on how ripe they are) flipping them every 10 minutes. Transfer the apricots to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. Squeeze the lime into the syrup and then discard it; return the saucepan with the syrup to medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Next, make the frangipane: Set aside 2 tablespoons of pistachios for serving. In a food processor, blitz the remaining pistachios until coarsely ground. Add the marzipan and blitz to a coarse crumb. Add all the remaining frangipane ingredients and blitz for 30 seconds, until everything just comes together.
• Once the tart shell has cooled completely, spoon the frangipane back in and spread it flat with the back of a spoon. Cut 3 1/2 ounces/100 grams of the apricot halves (3 or 4 of them) into quarters (or sixths if larger) and arrange evenly over the frangipane, pushing them down gently. Bake tart for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and just set. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the tart from the tin and set on a wire rack to cool completely. If making the recipe over two days, wrap the pastry in plastic wrap (cling film) once it has cooled completely.
• While the frangipane is baking (or the next day), make the crème pâtissière: In a medium bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons sugar with the cornstarch (cornflour), flour and yolks until smooth. Add milk, butter, vanilla and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until warm but not boiling. Remove the milk from the heat. While whisking, pour a third of the warm milk into the egg mix, and whisk well. Pour the mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk and return to medium-low heat. Continue cooking, whisking vigorously, until mixture bubbles and becomes very thick. Remove pan from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then spoon on top of the cooled frangipane, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Cover surface with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate for 2 hours until completely set.
• Just before serving, cut the remaining apricot halves into quarters (or sixths if larger). Arrange the apricots evenly in circles over the crème pâtissière, cut-side up, leaving a 2-inch/5-centimeter gap between each apricot (push them into the crème slightly as you go). Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the reduced poaching syrup evenly over the tart, then drizzle the orange blossom water over the tart. Roughly chop the reserved pistachios and mix with 1 teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle the pistachio mix in the gaps between the apricots to cover the crème pâtissière and serve at once with the remaining syrup drizzled over each piece once sliced.

APRICOT TART WITH PISTACHIO-ALMOND FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and egg yolk. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Press over bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce crust all over with fork. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For filling:
• Combine pistachios, almonds, and sugar in processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and blend to paste consistency. Using on/off turns, mix in egg and both extracts. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before using.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake chilled crust until light golden, pressing any bubbles with back of fork, about 18 minutes. Cool crust on rack 15 minutes.
• Spread filling evenly in crust. Arrange apricot halves, cut side down, close together in concentric circles atop filling, fitting in as many as possible. Bake tart until filling is lightly browned and set and apricots are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool tart completely on rack.
• For glaze:
• Combine jam and 2 teaspoons water in heavy small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat 1 minute, stirring constantly. Strain glaze into small bowl. Push up pan bottom to release tart. Place tart on platter. Brush glaze over tart. Sprinkle chopped pistachios around edge of tart. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature.)

UPSIDE-DOWN CARAMELIZED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Combine 1/2 cup sugar if using canned apricots (or 3/4 cup sugar if using fresh apricots) and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Add butter and cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits are dissolved. Immediately pour caramel into nonstick 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet; swirl to cover bottom of skillet. Carefully place apricot halves, rounded side down, tightly together atop caramel.
• Roll out puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 12 1/2-inch square. Using 12-inch tart pan bottom or platter as guide, cut pastry into 12-inch round. Place puff pastry round atop apricots in skillet. Gently press down pastry around apricots at edge of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is puffed and deep golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 1 minute. Cut around edge of pastry to loosen. Place large rimmed platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts as aid, hold skillet and platter tightly together and invert, allowing tart and syrup to fall onto platter. Carefully lift off skillet. Rearrange any apricots that may have become dislodged. Serve warm.

TIETON APRICOT TART WITH BASIL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, almond meal, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon zest, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is in pea-sized crumbles. Stir in buttermilk until dough comes together.
• Press dough evenly over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 12x16-inch tart pan or sheet pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Whisk egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk in milk. Add whole basil sprigs.
• Cook milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to steam, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Remove basil sprigs with tongs and discard. Whisk vigorously until custard thickens, about 1 minute.
• Set a wire mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour custard into the strainer; use a rubber spatula to press it through the strainer into the bowl. Whisk vanilla extract into the custard. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
• Pour cooled custard over crust; spread evenly to edges of crust with a rubber spatula. Arrange apricot slices on top.
• Scoop apricot jam into a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high until melted, about 1 minute. Brush jam over apricot slices.

APPLE TART WITH ALMONDS AND APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
• Heat apricot jam, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a small saucepan until mixture is well combined and simmering, about 6 minutes. Let jam mixture cool, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Roll out puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface; press into an even layer in the pie pan to form the base of the tart. Cover the tart with apple slices by overlapping them across the tart. Scatter cubed butter evenly over the apples; pour the jam mixture over the tart.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn the pan and sprinkle sliced almonds over the tart. Continue to bake until the the top starts to bubble, about 30 minutes more.

APRICOT AND CHERRY COUNTRY TART

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Stir flour, 1/8 teaspoon sugar and salt in bowl to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Mix in enough water by tablespoons until clumps form. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Roll out dough on floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• FOR FILLING:
• Mix flour and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl. Sprinkle over crust, leaving 1 1/2-inch border. Place apricots cut side down on crust, placing close together and leaving 1-1/2 inch border at outer edge. Scatter cherries over apricots. Top with 4 tablespoons sugar. Fold pastry edges up around apricots, pressing against apricots to form scalloped border. Brush crust with butter; sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake until crust is golden and fruit is tender (some juices from fruit will leak onto parchment), about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Using pastry brush, brush tart with juices on parchment. Gently slide parchment with tart onto rack. Carefully run long knife under tart to loosen (crust is fragile). Cool on parchment until lukewarm. Slide 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom under tart, then place tart on platter. Serve with ice cream or yogurt.

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry: in the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, flour and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles very fine bread crumbs. Add the confectioners' sugar, egg yolk and 2 tablespoons chilled water, and pulse a few times to bring the mixture together. Pour onto a work surface and knead the dough sparingly until smooth, being careful not to overwork it. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
• To make the frangipane: In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl. In the food processor, combine 1 cup brown sugar, butter, and vanilla pulp. Process until light and fluffy, then with motor running add the flour and the eggs. Add the ground almonds and pulse to mix evenly. Set aside at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.
• To assemble: Lightly flour a cool work surface and roll the pastry into a large disk about 1/4-inch thick. Press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base and trim the edge. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees with a large baking sheet on the middle rack. Spread frangipane in the chilled tart pan, and nestle the apricot halves evenly on top, cut sides up. Sprinkle each half with about 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Place the tart on the baking sheet and bake until golden, and set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the top appears to be browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
• Trim any baked overflow to loosen the edge of the tart. Press up the bottom of the pan to loosen the sides and cool the tart in the pan on a wire rack. When completely cool, serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

APRICOT TART WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, cornmeal and salt in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each dough disk in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
• Meanwhile, prepare apricot filling:
• Bring 5 cups water to simmer in heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add apricots and poach until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Unwrap 1 dough disk; press onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Spread apricot preserves over bottom of crust. Place poached apricots over preserves, covering crust completely and overlapping slightly. Using pastry brush, brush beaten egg over edges of crust. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch round. Remove top piece of parchment; using 1-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut hole in center of top crust. Turn crust over onto filling. Remove second piece of parchment paper. Press around crust edges to seal. Cut off excess dough to make top crust flush with tart pan sides. Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart until cornmeal crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer apricot tart to rack. Cool 30 minutes. Remove tart from pan and cool completely. (Apricot tart can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Serve tart with Apricot Sauce and whipped cream, if desired.